Refrigeration apparatus



Nov. 17, 1942, w. B. ANDERSON 2,302,385

' REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed June 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Shee?I l FUGA.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR y WILUAM BANDEFeoN. BY W ATTOR EY Nov. 17, 1942. W.B. ANDERSON REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed June 3, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2ATTOR EY Patented Nov? 17, i942 NETE.

PATENT oFFicE REFRIGERATON APPARATUS Application .lune 3, 1941, SerialNo. 396,384

Claims.

the temperature of the surface of the evaporator considerably below 32F., for example, approximately F. Fresh milk keeps best at a temperatureslightly above freezing, and since such milk is generally kept in closedcontainers., it is not necessary to maintain a high humidity in thecompartment where the containers are stored.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a lowtemperature storage space in a domestic refrigerator which storage spaceis adapted to preserve fresh milk.

Another object of the invention is to provide a low temperature storagespace for fresh milk without interfering with the temperaturesmaintained in the main food storage compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a grouping of a storagereceptacle for fresh meats and a storage compartment for fresh milk in adomestic refrigerator which receptacle and compartment mutually aid oneanother in maintaining their respective temperatures.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will beapparent from the following description and claims taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a domestic refrigerator cabinet embodying theinvention, the door of the cabinet being open;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-ll of Fig. 1 but with the doors ofthe milk storage compart ment and the ice tray compartment partiallyopen;

Fig. 3 is an exploded vievir in perspective of a sliding shelf of themilk storage compartment and the supporting structure for said shelf.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention,the reference numeral I0 represents a domestic refrigerator cabinethaving an insulated food storage chamber il in the upper portionthereof. The food storage chamber II comprises twoinsulated side wallsI2 and I3, an insulated rear wall I4, a door I5, andA a top Wall l1. Anevaporative cooling unit I8 is secured in the upper portion of the foodstorage chamber II and slightly off center to denne a smaller foodstorage space I9 to one side thereof and a larger food storage space 2iat the other side thereof.

'I'he cooling unit I8 extends from adjacent the rear Wall I4 to adjacentthe door I5 of the food storage compartment I I when the door I5 isclosed and comprises a double walled U-shaped metallic structure whichprovides refrigerant passages at the side walls 22 and 23 and the bottomwall 24 thereof. The front opening of the U-shaped cooling unitI I8 isclosed by a metal door 26 and the top and the upper portion of the rearopening of the cooling unit are closed by metal walls 21 and 2B,respectively. The cooling unit I8 is maintained at a temperature ofabout 20 F. to readily freeze water in the ice trays 29 located in theinterior of the cooling unit I8. The cooling unit I8 and the cabinet IUare furthermore designed to maintain the food storage chamber II at anaverage temperature of from 40 F. to 50 F. A shelf structure 3i,supported on pins 32, provides a perforate shelf area 33 in the smallerfood storage space I9 and a second perforate shelf area 3B in the largerfood storage space 2I. Both of said shelves 33 and 34 lie substantiallyin the same plane with the bottom wall 24 of the cooling unit I8.Additional shelves 3B are located in the lower portion of the foodYstorage chamber and a closed receptacle 31 for fresh vegetables islocated in the bottom thereof.

A meat storage receptacle 38 having substantially imperforate top,bottom, and side walls is located directly beneath the cooling unit I8and extends sidewardly thereof to the side Wall I2 of the food storagechamber I I, thereby substantially restricting air circulation throughthe perforate shelf 33 of the smaller food storage space I9. Aircirculation from the food storage chamber il to the food storage spaceI9 is further restricted by a door 39 adjacent the iront edge of thecooling unit I8 and extending to the side wall I2 of the food storagechamber. The food storage space I9 is of a width to accommodate milkbottles of one-quart capacity.

The food storage space I 9, if not restricted as to air circulation,would be at a higher temperature than the average temperature of thefood storage chamber Il and this would not be a temperature best suitedfor preserving fresh milk. Without the air restricting memberscomprising the door 39 and the meat storage receptacle 38,

the convectonal air circulation in the cabinet would be upwardly in theareas of the food storage chamber adjacent the joints between the doorI5 and the side walls I2 and I3, respectively, be-

cause' the greatest heat leakage into the food storage chamber occurs atthe areas where the door I5 seals against the food storage chamber II.This upwardly flowing stream of air would ordinarily flow through thefood storage spaces I9 and 2| to the cooling unit I8, would be cooled bysaid unit I8 and then pass downwardly along the rear wall I4 of the foodstorage chamber, and forwardly underneath the shelves 36 to the areaadjacent the door I5 to repeat its cycle of circulation.

With the circulation restricted by the door 39 and by the meat storagereceptacle 38, only a small portion of the warm upwardly flowing convectional air current flows through the food storage space I9. Anindependent local circulation of air is set up in the storage space I9which is downwardly along the refrigerated wall 22 of the cooling unitto the portion of the meat storage chamber 38 adjacent thereto,thereafter towards the wall I2 of the food storage chamber II, upwardlyalong said wall to the top wall I1 of the food storage chamber, and thento the refrigerated wall 22 to repeat the cycle just described.

This circulation of air not only maintains the food storage space I9 ata temperature below that of the average temperature of the food storagechamber II but also cools that portion of the meat storage receptacle 38which lies directly below the food storage space I9. Since the tem-vperature in the meat storage chamber 38 is preferably slightly above thefreezing point of water, the additional cooling obtained through thefood storage space I9 is a material aid in maintaining this temperaturein the food storage receptacle 38. v

The shelf 33 of the food storage space I9 may be arranged to slide sothat the entire contents of the food storage space I9 may be slidforwardly with the shelf 33 to facilitate removal of bottles placed atthe rear of the shelf 33. For this purpose the shelf structure 3Iprovides two parallel bars 4| and 42 upon which the shelf 33 is adaptedto slide. The shelf 33 has two parallel bars 43 and 44 which rest on andslide upon the bars 4I and 42 respectively of the shelf structure 3I.The rear portion of each of the bars 43 and 44 is provided with hookelements 46 and 41 which engage the bars 4I and 42 respectively andprevent the shelf 33 from tilting downwardly when it is pulled out.Guides 48 and 48 are secured to the parallel bars 4I and 42 respectivelyto retain the parallel bars 43 and 44 of the shelf 33 on the bars 4I and42,

It will be apparent from the above that this invention provides astorage space in a domestic refrigerator which is maintained at atemperature below the average temperature of the food storage chamber ofthe refrigerator and is suitable for the storage and preservation ofpackaged fresh milk. It will further be apparent that the inventionprovides a grouping of a storage space for packaged fresh milk and astorage receptacle for fresh'meats in such a manner that they mul `javeshown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilledin lthe art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible Q f'gvar'iouschanges and modifications without debting from the spirit thereof, and Idesire,

therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as arespecifically set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator, the combination of an insulated food storagechamber having a rear, side, top., and bottom wall, and a door formingat least a portion'r of the front wall of said food storage chamber; acooling unit in the upper portion of said food storage chamber, saidcooling unit comprising an exposed Vertical refrigerated wall parallelto and spaced from said side wall of said food storage chamber and anexposed and refrigerated lower wall, said cooling unit defining afreezing compartment; a substantially imperforate food storage containerlocated below said cooling unit and having a portion of its top walllocated closely adjacent said bottom wall of the cooling unit and asecond portion of ,its top wall extending to adjacent said side wall ofthe food storage chamber; and a second door, near to and substantiallyparallel to the door of the food storage chamber when both of said doorsare closed, said second door closing the space between said refrigeratedwall of the cooling unit and said last-mentioned side wall of the foodstorage chamber, said space being suitable for the storage of packagedmilk.

2. In ak refrigerator, the combination of an insulated food-storagechamber having two side walls and -a rear, a top, a bottom, and a frontwall, said front wall comprising a door; a cooling unit in said chamberand spaced from one of said side walls, said cooling unit having avertical, refrigerated, and exposed wall opposite said lastnamed sidewall, and an exposed and refrigerated bottom wall, said cooling unitdefining a freezing compartment; a substantially imperforate foodstoragecontainer in said chamber, said container having a portion of its topwall located closely adjacent said bottom wall of the cooling unit and asecond portion of its top wall extendlng to adjacent said last-namedside wall of the food-storage chamber; and a second door near the frontwall of the food-storage chamber and extending, when closed, betweensaid vertical wall of the cooling unit and said last-named side Wall ofthe food-storage chamber.

3. In a refrigerator, the combination of an insulated food-storagechamber having two side walls and a rear, a top, a bottom, and a frontwall, said front wall comprising a door, a cooling unit in said chamberand spaced from one of said side walls, said cooling unit having avertical,`

refrigerated, and exposed wall opposite said lastnamed side wall, and anexposed and refrigerated bottom wall, said refrigerated walls of thecooling unit extending substantially to the rear wall of thefood-storage chamber, said cooling unit defining a freezing compartment;a substantially imperforate food-storage container in said chamber, saidcontainer having a portion of its top wall located closely adjacent saidbottom wall of the cooling unit and a second portion of its top wallextending to adjacent said-last named side wall of the food-storagechamber, both of said top wall portions extending substantially to therear wall of said food-storage chamber; and a second door, near to andsubstantially parallel to the door of the food-storage chamber when bothof said doors are closed, said second door closing the space betweensaid vertical wall of the cooling unit and the portion of the side wallof the food-storage chamber opposite thereto, said space being suitablefor the storage of packaged milk.

4. In a refrigerator, the combination of an named side Wall, and anexposed and refrigerated bottom wall, said cooling unit dening afreezing compartment; a substantially imperforate foodstorage containerin said chamber, said container having a portion of its top wall locatedlclosely adjacent said bottom wall of the cooling unit but not inmetallic heat-conducting contact therewith and a second portion of itstop wall extending to adjacent said last-named side wall of thefood-storage chamber; and a second door near the front wall of thefood-storage chamber and extending, when closed, between said verticalwall of the cooling unit and said last-named side wall of thefood-storage chamber, said food-storage container being cooled mainly bydirect convectional air currents flowing downwardly from said coolingunit including said two refrigerated Walls thereof.

5. In a refrigerator, the combination of an insulated food-storagechamber having two side walls and a rear, a top, a bottom, and a frontWall, said front wall comprising a door; a cooling unit in said chamberand spaced -from one of said sid`e walls, said cooling unit having avertical, refrigerated, and exposed wall oppositer said last-named sidewall, and an exposed and refrigerated bottom wall, said cooling unitdefining a freezing compartment; a substantially imperforatefood-storage container in said cham`A ber, said container having aportion of its top wail located closely adjacent said bottom wall of thecooling unit but not in metallic heat-conducting contact therewith and asecond portion of its top wall extending to adjacent said last-namedside wall of the food-storage chamber; a perforate storage platformabove said second portion; and a second door near the front Wall of thefood-storage chamber and extending, when closed, between said verticalwall of the cooling unit and said last-named side Wall of thefoodstorage chamber, said food-storage container being cooled mainly bydirect convectional air currents flowing downwardly from said coolingunit including said two refrigerated walls thereof.

WILLIAM B. ANDERSON.

